Strip material container and dispenser

ABSTRACT

A strip material container and dispenser, particularly adapted for use in containing and dispensing a roll of paper or the like. The container has a floor at the lower end thereof and an open upper end, which is normally closed with a lid or cover or the like. The container has an elongate longitudinally extending slit in the side wall thereof, through which a strip of paper extends from the container. The container and the cover or lid thereof are preferably of transparent material. Extending upwardly from the floor of the container at the central portion thereof is a stem, and encompassing the stem is a bearing member. Carried by the cover and extending downwardly therefrom is a stem which is coaxial with the stem which extends upwardly from the floor. Ordinarily, the roll of paper within the container is wound upon a tube or spool or the like which encompasses the stems and which rests upon the bearing member which encompasses the stem which extends upwardly from the floor.

. United States Patent [191 3,843,071 Graham 1 Oct. 22, 1974 STRIPMATERIAL CONTAINER AND DISPENSER I Primary ExaminerWilliam I. PriceAssistant Examiner-Steven E. Lipman Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jacox &Meckstroth [5 7 ABSTRACT A strip material container and dispenser,particularly adapted for use in containing and dispensing a roll ofpaper or the like. The container has a floor at the lower end thereofand an open upper end, which is normally closed with a lid or cover orthe like. The container has an elongate longitudinally extending slit inthe side wall thereof, through which a strip of paper extends from thecontainer. The container and the cover or lid thereof are preferably oftransparent material. Extending upwardly from the floor of the containerat the central portion thereof is a stem, and encompassing the stem is abearing; member. Carried by the cover and extending downwardly therefromis a stem which is coaxial with the stem which extends upwardly from thefloor. Ordinarily, the roll of paper within the container is wound upona tube or spool or the like which encompasses the stems and which restsupon the bearingv member which encompasses the stem which extendsupwardly from the floor.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing, Figures [75] Inventor: Tom L. Graham, Detroit,Mich. [73] Assignee: Tom L. Graham, Jr.,'Bel1brook,

Ohio

. [22] Filed: Jan. 2, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 320,068

' 52] us. Cl 242/5553, 206/397, 206/408, 206/414 [51] Int. Cl B65d65/672, B65h 19/00 I [58] Field of Search..... 206/52 R, 52 A52 S, 52 F,206/52 W, 58, 389, 397, 403, 408, 414; 223/106; 242/552, 55.53, 55.54

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,097,385 5/1914 Barns206/52 S 1,127,053 2/1915 MacDonald....; 206/52 R 1,518,749 12/1924Nelson 242/5554 1,588,577 6/1926 Heifler 206/52 R 1,950,908 3/1934 Stoneet a1. 206/52 W 2,151,387 3/1939 Leatherbury 242/5554 X 3,195,721 7/1965Weckesser 206/52 S 3,490,578 1/1970 Speakman 206/52 R 3,680,810 8/1972Jarmalow 206/52 W X t i in? 1 STRIP MATERIAL CONTAINER AND DISPENSERBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In numerous situations it is desirable tohave a roll of paper sitting on a table or shelf or the like, forexample, in a bathroom, or bedroom, or kitchen of a home, or in aworkshop of a home or industry. The roll of paper consists of anelongate strip which is wound into a roll and when desired a length ofthe strip is unwound from the strip and then torn from the roll for use.

It is an object of this invention to provide an attractive container fora roll of paper'as the roll is positioned upon a shelf or table or thelike.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a container which isalso a dispenser from which a length portion of the strip extends andfrom which a portion of the stripmay be severed.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a container whichincludes means for assisting in the severing of a desired portion of thestrip from the remainder of the roll thereof.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a container whichis provided with means to maintain the roll in a fixed central locationwithin the container.

tion, as will become more apparent from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspectiveview of a container and dispenser of this invention, showing a roll ofstrip material therein, with a portion of the strip material extendingDETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A container and dispenser of thisinvention comprisesa shell 10, which has tubular side walls 12 and anintegral floor 14. The side walls 12 have a vertical slot 15 therein.Resting upon the floor 14 and in firm engagement with, the side walls 12is a base'16. Extending upwardly from the base 16, integral therewith,at the central portion thereof is a stem 20. Encompassing the stem 20 isa bearing member 21 which may be loose with respect to the stem 20 andthe base 16, or the bearing member 21 may be attached to the stem 20and/or to the base 16. Preferably the bearing 21 is made of a materialhaving a very low coefficient of friction, such as nylon or teflon orthe like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the shell 10 is open at the top thereof, but isnormally closed with a cover or lid 23 having a flange 22. The cover 23is shown as being provided with a knob or handle 26, attached thereto atthe upper part thereof.

The upper portion of the exterior surface of the side walls 12 of theshell 10 has spaced-apart tapered or sloping protuberances 30 and theinner surface of the flange 22 of the cover 23 has complementary taperedor sloping protuberances 34. The tapered or sloping protuberances 34 andthe tapered or sloping protuberances 30 are so positioned as tointermesh one with the other, so that when the cover 23 is resting uponthe shell 10 at the upper end thereof, slight rotative movement of thecover 23 results in intermeshing of the protuberances 30 and 34 forlocking the cover 23 in position on the shell 10, as illustrated in FIG.2.

The cover 23 has a stem 40 attached thereto on the lower surface thereofand extending downwardly therefrom at the central portion thereof. Thestem 40 is thus substantially coaxial with the stem 20 which extendsupwardly from the base 16.

If desired, the lower portion of the shell 10 may be positioned within areceptacle 50, which may rest freely upon a table or shelf or the likeor which may be attached thereto, if desired.

An elongate strip of paper or the like in the form of a roll 60 is shownas having a tubular core 62 upon whichthe paper strip is wound. The core62 rests upon the bearing 21 as the core 62 encompasses the stem 20.

A portion of the strip of paper extends from the roll 60 outwardly fromthe shell 10 through the slot 15. If desired, the slot 15 may have anenlarged portion 68 at the upper part thereof, to facilitate threadingof the strip through the slot 15. The core 62 also encompasses the stem40 which extends downwardly from the cover 23. Thus, as the strip ispulled outwardly through the slot 15, the roll 60 is maintained by thestems 20 and 410 in a central location within the shell 10. Also, as thestrip is pulled outwardly from the shell 10 through the slot 15, theroll 60 rotatively moves as the core 62 rests upon the bearing 21. Ifthe bearing 21 is loose with re spect to the stem 20 and the base 16,thebearing 21 may freely rotatively move as the roll 60 and the core 62rotatively move. If the bearing 21 is attached to the stem 20 and/or tothe base 16, the bore 62 easily rotates upon the bearing 21. Thus, theroll 60 readily rotates as continuous successive portions of the stripare drawn outwardly from the shell 10 through the slot 15.

When the desired length portion of the strip extends outwardly from theshell 10, the length portion is severed from the remainder of the rollby tearing the strip along an edge of the slot 15.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, itwill be understood that within the purview .of this invention variouschanges may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement ofparts, the combination thereof, and mode of operation, which generallystated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects setforth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

The invention having thus been described, the following is claimed:

1. A device for containing a roll 'of paper-like strip material and fromwhich the strip material is dispensed, comprising:

an'upright shell including vertical annular side walls and a floor atthe bottom thereof, theside walls being provided with a portion having avertically extending slot therein,

a circular base within the shell and resting horizontally upon thefloor, but unattached thereto and engaging the internal surface of theside walls to position the base within the shell,

a stem' integral with the base at the central part thereof and extendingvertically upwardly therefrom,

a removable circular cover member, the cover member having a horizontalportion having a lower surface resting upon the upper end of the shelland having a downwardly extending vertical annular flange encompassingthe upper part of the shell,

a downwardly extending stem attached to the lower surface of thehorizontal portion of the cover member at the central part thereof andbeing coaxial with the stem which is attached to the base,

a knob attached to the upper surface of the horizontal portion of thecover member for movement of the cover member from the shell for placinga roll of paper-like strip material into the shell and for rewardly fromthe base, the bearing member being adapted to support a roll of stripmaterial and to permit rotation thereof with respect to the stems.

4. The device of claim 3 in which the bearing member loosely encompassesthe stem which extends upwardly from the base and is rotatable withrespect thereto.

1. A device for containing a roll of paper-like strip material and fromwhich the strip material is dispensed, comprising: an uprigHt shellincluding vertical annular side walls and a floor at the bottom thereof,the side walls being provided with a portion having a verticallyextending slot therein, a circular base within the shell and restinghorizontally upon the floor, but unattached thereto and engaging theinternal surface of the side walls to position the base within theshell, a stem integral with the base at the central part thereof andextending vertically upwardly therefrom, a removable circular covermember, the cover member having a horizontal portion having a lowersurface resting upon the upper end of the shell and having a downwardlyextending vertical annular flange encompassing the upper part of theshell, a downwardly extending stem attached to the lower surface of thehorizontal portion of the cover member at the central part thereof andbeing coaxial with the stem which is attached to the base, a knobattached to the upper surface of the horizontal portion of the covermember for movement of the cover member from the shell for placing aroll of paper-like strip material into the shell and for re-positioningthe cover member upon the shell, the roll of strip material encompassingthe stem which is attached to the base and the stem which is attached tothe cover member, a portion of the roll of strip material extending fromthe shell through the vertically extending slot in said portion of theside walls of the shell.
 2. The device of claim 1 in which the shell andthe cover member are transparent.
 3. The device of claim 1 whichincludes a bearing member encompassing the stem which extends upwardlyfrom the base, the bearing member being adapted to support a roll ofstrip material and to permit rotation thereof with respect to the stems.4. The device of claim 3 in which the bearing member loosely encompassesthe stem which extends upwardly from the base and is rotatable withrespect thereto.